George Zimmerman Hires Divorce Lawyer

In court proceedings, the saying “Better late than never” does not always apply.

Orlando Sentinel reports that George Zimmerman has retained Tampa lawyer Howard Iken of Ayo & Iken to ask the court to set aside the clerk’s order of default entered against him three weeks ago in his divorce case.

Zimmerman is the 30-year-old man who killed unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012. A jury of 6 women acquitted him in July 2013.

Shellie Zimmerman, George’s wife, was charged with perjury following a bond hearing where she misrepresented her knowledge of the couple’s assets. Just after the verdict in George’s murder trial, Shellie entered a plea agreement where she would serve a year’s probation, pay a fine, and complete 100 hours of community service. George was not with her in court when she appeared to enter that plea.

Shellie then filed for divorce, reporting that after the verdict, George abandoned her and went on a “victory tour.” George and Shellie were living in a house owned by Shellie’s parents. As Shellie was removing her belongings from that house, there was an altercation between her, her dad, and George Zimmerman. The public caught a glimpse of a woman with George and subsequently learned that Samantha and George were living together. Shortly thereafter, Samantha and George were in an altercation where George told the police that Samantha was pregnant with his child.

In spite of his actions and sexual intimacy with another woman, George now wants to contest the divorce. Before he can do that however, the court must first set aside the default judgment. If the court sets the default aside, it doesn’t mean that George will ask that no divorce be granted. Rather, he might ask for the court to decide on issues of dividing marital debts and any future assets that Shellie has requested be granted to her.

Florida Rules of Civil Procedures sets forth what a party must prove to the court in order for the court to set-aside a default.

If he has a “Meritorious Defense” the order can be vacated. This happens all the time, but since he was served, and knows he had to answer it formally, it may be denied.

God forbid Fogen actually has to comply with the law now…..being so far above it and all.

He has no “Meritorious Defense” legally but he’ll find a way to subvert the system. He’ll claim he and Schiebe were so busy trying to make a baby……..then checking all the Home Pregnancy Test strips…….well…..that takes up all his time.

10) I miss my dogs so much and I cry all day.
9) I can’t get hold of my brother to help me with it
8) Samantha and I have been trying so hard to make a baby
7) Do you have any idea how much gloating I do over Shellie’s conviction !!
6) I’m so scared I need to target practice a lot
5) I have to keep avoiding O’ Mara’s calls and that takes a lot of my time
4) I lost it in while I was in……the complaint that is.
3) Samantha and I have to keep checking those Home Pregnacy strips.
2) I was busy reloading my pistol.

And the #1 reason…………

My lawyer actually wanted me to give him money before I got what I wanted

But seriously…, No matter what the rules technically (i.e., to “factinistas”) say, I will be surprised if the judge DOESN’T reconsider the “default” and order the matter to proceed on its merits, with both sides participating.

Just a hunch, based on limited experience with so-called defaults where I live.

I get the feeling that Kelly Sims is prepared for either way the case might go. If the case does proceed, I can see him now filing a motion to have George pay the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees. That would be a hoot.

mindyme62, the Orlando Sentinel did say that George “retained” the lawyer. Hopefully Howard Iken charged a sufficient retainer and George has not duped him into thinking that one or two documents and one or two hearings is all that is necessary because, as we saw in his criminal case, George is more than willing to mud-sling without paying his attorneys.

Anyone know what points Zman will contest if the court will set aside the default judgement. Anyone know what precedent there is in FL to set aside a default divorce request after the twelfth hour has passed?

If I were I judge, I’d be inclined to rule against him in favor of Shellie, given all his shenanigans up until now. He had plenty of time to respond and possibly the money to do so from his first painting if that actually made anything.

There’s no excusable neglect nor inadvertence for George. The entire nation knew that Shellie filed for divorce. He ducked and dodged service of summons. When he was served while in jail, he had an attorney. Jayne could have given him instructions on how to file his appearance in the divorce proceeding and request the court for time to obtain a divorce lawyer.

George can neither claim lack of money to hire an attorney because again, the entire nation knew that he sold a painting BEFORE time expired for him to file an answer in the divorce case.

Instead, he behaved as if the case would go into a black-hole if he ignored it and was probably hoping that the court would not grant Shellie anything.

“This forces him to claim he didn’t get paid and the bidders were “frauds”

He will have a major problem with attempting that, the funds he received are taxable and the IRS would find out quickly from e-bay if that was true, too many money trails for him to be successful in pulling that one off.

“All that dumb fuck owns are several firearms and a few bullets. His truck is on the re – po list as he wasn’t even smart to file bankruptcy !!”

He could not even consider that, he would have had to furnish the court with a full statement of “all income” and “all expenses” if he had attempted a bankruptcy filing. Bottom line, unless his new attorney can work a miracle, George has screwed him self. This might get very interesting, and unfortunately it could also get very violent…

If he had 1/2 a brain, he’d have had Taaffe or one of the other racist twerps claim Fogen painted it for them and now it’s for sale. Once payment cleared, he could split it in some fashion and the paper trail now becomes untraceable cash.

He has an insurmountable issue no matter since it allegedly sold for over 10K.

Gee, George just figured out that Shellie was going to get some of the money he received from the sale of the “alleged” painting and his pay per view woopin! Hopefully the Judge will deny his request and force George the scam artist to fork over the money….

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is ignoring a case once they have been served. Plaintiffs give the court jurisdiction and courts don’t need defendants to enter orders by default. Defendants too have standing to file a counter-complaint and ask the court to grant it when plaintiffs do not proceed.

In most states, once one party files, anything each party makes after the filing date can’t be included. If he actually did sell any “art” everything he makes is his, at least in NJ. Maybe FL is different.

I had a friend who won over 250K at a Casino 3 or 4 days after his wife filed yet he had not been served yet. Her lawyers best effort to attach it went for naught. Her reason for filing……..his gambling…….ain’t life a royal bitch !!

“Marital assets and liabilities are those that are acquired during the marriage and used during that time by the husband and wife. Of course, non-marital assets are the opposite of marital assets. Non-marital assets were either acquired before the marital relationship, or during the marriage and not comingled with other marital assets, such as through inheritance or as a gift. Property or money earned or received after the filing of a petition for dissolution of marriage is also classified as a non-marital asset. Both the assets and liabilities of the parties can be determined from either the petition for dissolution or from the financial affidavits of the parties.”http://www.denoncourtlaw.com/index.php

Another blog poster stole my timeline, only they got their dates wrong……they should check their dates more carefully, like when he was served. They used the date that most news agencies ran the story and not when it actually happened.

I would LOVE to think just MAYBE this time that damn TEFLON IDIOT might go DOWN.But what keeps on creeping back in my head is this is still FLORIDA!! He is going to use every trick in the books & more to get his way.
I wonder if he got an advance from his PRETEND BOXING gig to pay for his divorce attorney?
I should know if he makes up his OWN rules in MURDER,he certainly would in DIVORCE!!

Rachael, right, or they would have said the tests results were wrong for GZ, but right for Trayvon. In their defense of GZ, they even believe that rain discriminates. It washes blood and DNA off Trayvon’s hands and clothes, but not GZ’s jacket and head.

Xena, correct, when I pointed out in several stories about the various drugs that Z had a prescription for and their side effects, they would justify it by saying he had legal prescriptions. They fail to realize that one could still be held liable for their actions while taking their legal prescriptions……like with Shellie’s mom when she was arrested for DUI and it was for being under the influence of prescription drugs.

One of the things I would love to see changed is that ANYTIME there is a shooting in Florida, that they automatically give the person a blood test to see what they were under the influence of.

One of the things I would love to see changed is that ANYTIME there is a shooting in Florida, that they automatically give the person a blood test to see what they were under the influence of.

That makes perfect sense. Your comment about driving under the influence of prescription drugs is right on point. A vehicle is considered a deadly weapon when operated by someone under the influence. There’s no question that guns are deadly weapons.

With GZ divorce news AND with all the nonsense about GZ’s upcoming boxing silliness,
I an NOT forgetting the IMPLICATIONS of the GZ verdict.

Here are some excerpts from Julian Kimble in his article “Remembering Trayvon Martin: How a Young Man’s Short Life and Senseless Death Will ReverberateTrayvon’s Killing is a Reminder of Where Black Men Stand in America” which speak of these implications:

I was prepared for the verdict, yet I was still devastated when it was delivered. Once again, America had shown young black men the value of their lives.
While Zimmerman walks away a free man, Trayvon Martin is frozen in time as a symbol.
The verdict is the system once again showing young black men that they don’t have to do anything wrong to be killed, and, what’s more, the blame can still be assigned to them.
Trayvon Martin deserved better. He deserved better than meeting his demise while walking back to his father’s home after going on a snack run. I’m lucky. It could have been me.

This entire episode is a scary reminder to the parents of minority children that America sees their sons as danger before it sees them as human beings.

America has sent us a mixed message; sure, we can become president one day, but we can still be shot dead in a split-second because someone decides that our presence is suspicious. Trayvon Martin is dead, but the thing that killed him is still very much alive.

For that reason, he lives on in every black man who can’t move without considering what society thinks of him. Being as non-threatening as possible is a full-time job, a job that can cost you your life without any mistakes being made. That’s my reality, and that’s the idea this verdict reinforces.

Well I was not prepared for the verdict. I did not think it was even remotely possible for GZ to walk. I was and am still devastated. My son was only a couple years older than Travyon. It could have been him. That was what I felt from the very moment I first read about this. It could have been my son. Heck, it still could be.

It isn’t like it stopped with Trayvon. In fact, it has become even more.

Yes, Trayvon Martin is dead, but the thing that killed him is still very much alive and seems to be growing.

(Administator’s note. Edited. We do not want to give harassers the wrong impression or anything they can twist.)

towerflower,
George knew Shellie had filed for divorce. He came to rental home when Shellie was moving the rest of her belongings. He knew. He could have wobbled to the Sheriff’s office and signed the summons and got a copy of the complaint.

Since the default was entered, he no doubt got a call from a bill collector and now wants to challenge that the court ordered him to pay marital debts.

Despite the celebrity and media attention given to Zimmerman’s challenge, 88% of Americans are not interested in watching the fight. That leaves little more than one in ten (12%) who might tune in to watch.

Zimmerman’s publicity plan as far as timing to build up momentum couldn’t be worst. Not only is tomorrow Trayvon’s birthday, but the 15th or 16th is Jordan’s. The 26th is the second year anniversary of Trayvon’s death.

The jury is being selected for Dunn’s trial, and Taaffe is on Nancy Grace’s denigrating the guys who were in the SUV to justify why Dunn had the right to shoot at them.

Nancy Grace said tonight that Jordan was shot in the back. That’s something I did not know. She asked Taaffe how was that self-defense, and as he started saying the driver is a former felon, she cut-off his mic.

Nah — all this is putting a bad taste again in America’s mouth. The last thing people want to do is pay to see Zimmerman do anything other than maybe, go to prison.